Outpatient Cellular Therapy Center Patient Education Development

Successfully shifting treatments to the outpatient arena improves patient outcomes and lowers costs. Meanwhile, exponential growth of cellular therapies further stresses hospital systems and contributes to high census volumes. An academic medical center recently opened an Outpatient Cellular Therapy Center (OCTC) to initiate and manage transplants and cellular therapies, including T cell engagers. While aiming to enhance patient experience and resource utilization, the OCTC introduced new challenges with navigating processes. Recognizing the gap, multiple disciplinary teams collaborated to develop an effective teaching strategy to meet the unique needs of the outpatient setting. An interdisciplinary committee met to develop patient education based upon existing materials developed with marketing. Rather than providing a single pamphlet, material was split up into major topics to not overwhelm patients with information at one time. Topics would be covered and reinforced at different timepoints of the process. Summaries of what to expect and supplementary educational materials were developed for use within the electronic medical record for patients. Prior to starting therapy in the OCTC, a binder with initial education is provided to patients. An electronic survey was included on the back of the binder given to patients. Despite dozens of patients undergoing treatment at the OCTC, few responses were received; However, they rated the materials, process, and teams highly. Patients struggled with directions from the electronic medical record and the increased burden on the caregivers. An added benefit of splitting up information was the ease of editing, printing, and sharing materials in person or via patient portal messaging. Transplant Coordinators observed reduced confusion and anxiety while adhering to the outpatient model. As the OCTC continues to evolve, so does the education requirements and patient needs. The committee continues to work on updating education with ever changing updates to benefit the patient throughout the challenging process. A dedicated nurse coordinator for the OCTC may help encourage survey participation in the future.